Genetic link
to anxiety

07.10.2008

A Helsinki – The causes of human anxiety disorders are largely unexplored, so there are currently no targeted drugs available for treatment. That’s why Finnish researchers from the Academy of Finland Research Programme on Neuroscience (NEURO) in September came up with a cross-species approach to identify pathways that are linked to disease etiology. In a population of 321 Finnish patients and 653 control subjects, they screened for point mutations in 13 human homologues to mice genes that predisposed the animals to develop anxiety disorders. The team led by Iiris Hovatta found a statistical association to different disorders for several genes: delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD) was linked to social phobia, dynein light chain 2 (DYNLL2) was associated with generalised anxiety disorder, and prosaposin (PSAP) seemed to increase the risk for panic disorder. “Environmental factors such as stressful life events may trigger an anxiety disorder more easily in people who have a genetic predisposition to the illness,” explains Hovatta. In follow-up studies, Spanish and US collaborators will try to replicate the results in other populations. A closer understanding of the genetics and neurobiology of anxiety disorders is expected to help improve treatment of the illness. Less than 50% of the patients bene­fit from the current medications.

The vaccine research centre of the University of Tampere in Finland has out­licenced a candidate combined prophylactic vaccine against norovirus and rota­virus infections. The Japanese vaccine venture UMN Pharma Inc. acquired the...

Finnish protein manufacturer Vectron Biosolutions AS has completed a study comparing different expression technologies. According to Vectron, their proprietary E. coli expression technology gave higher yields for seven out of ten...

Helsinki/Göttingen – Finnish laboratory supplier Biohit Oyj has sold its liquid handling business for €68m to German process and labtech provider Sartorius AG. Osmo Suovaniemi, founder and Chairman of the Board at Biohit,...

Bresso/Turku – The wedding's off between Newron and Biotie. The bride has run away. Shares in Italy's Newron Pharmaceuticals plunged after its proposed merger with Biotie Therapies Corp was called off by the Finnish firm....

Turku/ Bresso – It is both good and bad news for the Italian biotechnology sector: Finnish Biotie Therapies ASA has signed an agreement to acquire Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. for €45 million. On the down side, Italy loses one...

Helsinki – Finnish researchers are likely to have identified the mutation that drives tumorigenesis in millions of women suffering from uterine leiomyomas (fibroids). The benign tumours, which are the most common medical reason...

Hafnarfjodur – Actavis Group CEO Claudio Albrecht announced at the beginning of February that the company may go public within the next 2-3 years, although it isn’t clear whether the generics manufacturer would conduct an IPO,...

Helsinki/Toronto – Induced pluripotent stem cells from a patient’s own cells must be screened for genetic failures before any clinical use, new research from Finnish and Canadian researchers suggest. In Nature the researchers...

Partner-Events

Stockholm (SE)

Wien (A)

Product of the week

BioShake Series

The BioShake series contains high-speed mixer and thermal mixer for small and very small volumes in microplates and reaction tubes and allows for the first time high precise and efficient mixing in the microliter scale for a wide range of applications. more